Ontario Education System

Education in Ontario, Canada is a Kindergarten to Grade 12 system: Kindergarten (Age 5), Elementary School (Grades 1 - 8), and Secondary School (Grades 9 - 12). Courses offered reflect students' needs and interests. There are different courses that students can select depending on their future goals. Students may choose their compulsory courses from 3 types: university preparation, college preparation, and workplace preparation. For example, schools may offer 3 types of Grade 12 English courses: ENG4U (University) ENG4C (College), and ENG4E (Workplace).

Requirements of Secondary School Graduation and University Admission

In order to acquire the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), students must complete a total of 30 credits from Grade 9 to Grade 12. In addition, they must pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). For university admission however, students must complete at least six 4U/4M courses at the Grade 12 level. Otherwise, the students cannot apply for university, even if they have OSSD. Therefore, scores attained in these six courses are very important. Students who have OSSD will have priority and be given preference for university admission.

International students can earn the OSSD if they complete Grades 9 - 12 in Canada. Students from outside Ontario who have earned their national diploma are normally required to complete six 4U/4M courses at the Grade 12 level in order to earn the OSSD. In addition, they also need to pass the OSSLT and complete the required number of hours of community involvement.

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

All students are required to write the OSSLT no matter if you are a local student or international student. Students, who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice, and have been unsuccessful at least once, are eligible to fulfill the requirements through the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC). Successful completion of the OSSLT or OSSLC is a graduation requirement. The OSSLT is usually held in October every year (occasionally in May).

Community Service

According to the Ontario Ministry of Education, all students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of unpaid community involvement activities, also called "Community Service," before graduating from secondary school. International students who come to Ontario for one year of pre-university studies are required to complete a minimum of 10 hours. Completing the required number of hours of community service is one of the requirements of obtaining OSSD for both local and international students. The community services that international students complete in their home country can be used as reference.